Book scheduled for Nov. 17 release, two weeks after midterm elections
Former President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will publish a memoir recounting his presidency, with the book set for release on Nov. 17, two weeks after the U.S. midterm elections.
The memoir, titled “Promise Me, America,” will be published by Little, Brown and Company and cover topics including the economy, the war in Ukraine, and Biden’s decision to drop his 2024 re-election bid, according to the publisher.
Biden, who will turn 84 three days after the book’s release, said in a video statement that the book is “about the challenges we faced as a nation” and “the decisions I made and why I made them.”
The timing of the release could raise concerns among Democrats, who remain divided on Biden’s legacy and his insistence on seeking a second term despite concerns about his age and health, according to the Guardian. Party leaders have sought to keep the midterm campaign focused on President Donald Trump.
The book’s title echoes Biden’s 2017 memoir “Promise Me, Dad,” which centered on the death of his son Beau Biden. Biden’s previous books include “Promises to Keep,” a campaign work published ahead of his 2008 vice presidential run.
Biden addressed his health in the announcement. “I’m dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it’s going really well,” he said. He thanked well-wishers for their support.
The memoir will add to a growing body of literature about Biden’s presidency. Former first lady Jill Biden’s memoir, “View from the East Wing,” published in June, described her fear that Joe Biden was having a stroke during the 2024 debate and criticized the White House’s initial explanation that he was suffering from a cold. The book “Original Sin” by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, published in 2025, detailed what the authors described as a cover-up of Biden’s decline.
Little, Brown declined to release financial details for “Promise Me, America,” though presidential memoirs typically command seven-figure advances. A spokesperson said Biden plans to tour and give interviews to promote the book.
The book arrives during a period of sluggish nonfiction sales, though recent political bestsellers have included Vice President JD Vance’s “Communion” and an inside account of Trump’s second term by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan titled “Regime Change.”